That $40 ceramic coating kit from the auto parts store actually held up for 18 months
I laughed at my buddy when he swore by it. Figured any paint protection under $200 was a scam. He did my hood with it back in March 2023 and I just washed the car last week. Water still beads up like crazy, no swirls either. I used to drop $150 on a detail every 6 months. So what's the catch? Is mine just a lucky batch or do these cheap kits work for everyone?
My dad bought a $30 bottle of "as seen on TV" wax in like 2019 and it outlasted the fancy stuff he used to order online. Same thing happens with kitchen knives and mattress brands, the price tag is mostly marketing and the actual stuff inside is almost the same. So no, you probably didn't get lucky, you just stopped paying for a name.